John h



(No Model.)

J, H. ELWARD.

SLED.

Patented Dec. 20, 1887.

n m her, Wahinglou. n. c.

U ITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN H. ELWAR-D, or WHITEWATER, WISCONSIN.

SLED.

QPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 375,145, dated December 20, 1887. Application filed June 25, 1887. Serial No. 42,516. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN H.ELWARD, a citizen of the United States, residing at WVhite water, in the county of VValworth and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sleds, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a sled con structed with my improvements. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same. Fig. 3 is a cross-section on theline w m, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a side view, on an enlarged scale, of one of the knees. Fig. 5 is an edge View of the same. Fig. 6 shows the boltjoining the sills and the knees.

In the drawings, A A represent the runners of the front pair, and A A those of the rear pair, the runners of each being mounted so as to be more or less independent of each other or standard, B, having legs I) b bolted to the runner, there being at the top a strong hubpiece, I), and journal-pieces If.

0 represents the sill or crossbarof the front pair of runners, and O the corresponding part for the rear. These cross bars are loosely joined to the knees or standards B B by'nieans of eyebolts c 0, passed downwardly through the bars, the eyes of the bolts engaging with the journal parts I) of the standards.

The front runners and the rear are joined by means of the reach E, this being at the front end joined to the bolster D and at the rear to the bolster D. The reach at the rear end is loosely connected to the rear bolster and sill, so that the rear runners can undulate more or less-that is to say, so that one can rise or fall bodily independently of the other, and the rear pair of runners can assume one inclination relatively to the horizon,while the front pair are at another inclination. This is accomplished, preferably, by rounding the rear end of the reach and fitting the rounded part into a correspondingly-shaped seat in the rear bolster or sill. The bolster D is connected to the front pair of runners by means of afift-h wheel at E, or equivalent devices, they being secured in place by a king bolt, about which they can oscillate laterally. The bolsters are shown as being provided with standards for supporting a bed or body.

The Weight of the bed and of the load is in this construction supported upon the runners in a manner different from that in which it is carried-in sleds of this class. Heretofore the. sills or cross-bars which unite the runners of each pair have been so arranged as to lie above their pivotal supports-that is to say, they have been overhung, in contradistinction to their arrangement in my construction in which they are underhung. By underhanging them the leverage of the load and the weight is prevented from exerting the fracturing strain, which is incident when they are overhung. The load and the weight of .the carried parts is in my case so arranged as to rest upon the sills below the hinge-lines of the journals at 11 I The sleds can be started suddenly and stopped, can be taken up or down hill, and can be turned around short without the tendency to displacement and to breakage which has heretofore made sleds of this kind very objectionable.

I do not limit myself to the exact relation shown ofthe sills to the knees, though I prefer to have them situated as illustrated--that is to say, so that the ends of the sills are situated between the legs of the knees, in order that the latter shall act to prevent the swinging of the sills to too great an extent, though at the same time they allow the runners to separately vibrate sufficiently. When the sills aremounted so as to overhang their horizontal pivots, as is the case in many constructions heretofore used, the sleds cannot be turned at a sharp angle, because the tendency is to throw one of the ends of the front bolsters down, inasmuch as this bolster is held parallel to the upper surface of the sill, and if said surface is thrown into an inclined position the bolster must necessarily follow it. This frequently occurs and results in the overturning of the bed or body. When the sills are underhung, as in the construction shown, the supporting parts areso related to the bed, as above described, that tho sill is not forced into an inclined position.

I also apply a brace or stay rod, G, between the draft devices and the front sill. As shown,

ICO

it is loosely united by a hinge-like connection to the roller H, and at the rear end is supported by' the lower end of the king-bolt. This acts to steady and to brace the front sill and to prevent it from turning, so that the front pair of runners can be turned to a line at right angles to that of the rear runners without in any way affecting the position of the body.

I have above called attention to the fact that the front runners and rear runners can assume different inclination across an axis longitudiml of the vehicle by reason of the loose connection to the rear runners. It is this construction and arrangement of the parts which makes the front bolster liable to tip when the sled is turning. In some earlier constructions this is avoided by having the rear end of the reach rigid with the rear bolster; but in order to attain the other advantages above mentioned I prefer to have a loose connection at this point.

The brace-rod G is to be regarded as a stop, which prevents the sill both from rocking forward and from rocking backward relatively to the bed. It may be applied to the sill otherwise than at the king-bolt, so long as it is suf ficiently rigid to attain the ends above mentioned.

What I claim is 1. In a sled of the character described, the combination of the independently-vibrating runners of the front pair, the rear pair of run ners, the reach interposed between the pairs of runners and flexibly connected to one thereof, whereby the said pairs can vibrate about the reach as an axis, the bolsters, and the sill 0 supported 011 horizontal pivots and hung below said pivots, said sill supporting the front end of the body, substantially as described.

2. The combination of theindependently-vibrating front runners, the rear pair of runners, the reach, the bolster, and the sill O, united by a vertical pivot to the bolsters and the reach and supported upon the front runners by horizontal pivots above the sill, and means for preventing the said sill from oscillating, substantially as described.

3. Thecombination,withtheindependentlyvibrating runners of the front pair, the underhung sill (J, pivoted to said front runners, the independently-vibrating runners of the rear pair, the underhung sill C, pivoted to said rear runners, the reach interposed between the rear pair of runners and the front pair, and arranged substantially as set forth, to permit one pair of runners to vibrate upon the reach independently of the other pair, as described.

4. The combination of theindependently-vibrating front runners, the rear pair of runners, the reach, the bolster for supporting the front end of the bed, the underhung sill C,pivoted to the front runners and also pivoted to the bed, and a stop which prevents said sill both from rocking forward and from rocking backward relatively to the bed, substantially as described.

5. The combination,with the front runners, the rear runners, the bolsters, and the underhung sills, of the runner-knees each having the oppositely-projectingjournal parts I)", and the legs I), and the eyebolts, the sill having its end between the legs I) of the knee.

6. In a bob-sled having the independentlyvibrating front runners and the rear runners flexibly connected together, substantially as described,whercby either can rock independently of the other transversely of the bed, the combination, with the front runners, the bolster loosely connected to said runners, and the tongue connected to said runners, of a brace connecting the said bolster and the said tongue, and arranged, substantially as set forth, to p revent the bolster both from rocking forward and from rocking backward relatively to the bed, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination, with the front runners and the rear runners flexibly connected there to, of the under-hung sill O, pivoted to the front runners, the bolster pivoted to the sill, the tongue loosely connected to the runners, and the brace hinged to the tongue,and having its rear end directly secured to said sill, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix mysignature in presence of two witnesses.

. JOHN H. ELNARD.

WVitnesses:

J. A. PARTRIDGE, O. J. PARIRIDGE. 

